Ohio Democratic Party vs. Blackwell: Update

I wrote to the Ohio Democratic Party trying to find out why they moved to dismiss the case.

A reply arrived this morning.

It said that the sole objective of the suit, which was achieved, was to get a TRO (Temporary Restraining Order?) to aid voters in the two involved counties.


Here's some background:

State Wants Judge To Rule On Its Role In Election
Long Voting Lines Spurred Request
by AP/Ohio.com

March 2, 2005

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The state has asked a federal judge to determine whether it complied with the law in how it conducted last year's presidential election, saying it needs a precedent for challenges in future elections.

-snip-

The request grew out of a case originally brought by the Ohio Democratic Party against Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, a Republican, and two county boards of election on Election Day. The party sought to alleviate long lines at polling places in two counties.

-snip-

After Kerry conceded, the Democrats asked Marbley to dismiss the case. However, the Ohio Attorney General's office, representing Blackwell, is trying to keep it alive so Marbley will rule on its request. The state filed a motion to intervene, asking Marbley to rule that the state and county boards did not violate constitutional guarantees of the right to vote, as claimed by the Democrats.

-snip-

The state countered that Marbley should rule so a judgment will be in place if similar court actions are filed in future elections.

-snip/more-

http://www.ohio.com/mld/beaconjournal/11033738.htm

:shrug:

Unfortunately the beaconjournal is a subscription only site... Do you know what the TRO was for, and did they get it?

We'll see how long this one lasts.

http://www.ohiodems.org/index.php?display=ArticleDetails&id=244832

:yourock:

My guess is the TRO related to the following:

-snip-

The request grew out of a case originally brought by the Ohio Democratic Party against Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, a Republican, and two county boards of election on Election Day. The party sought to alleviate long lines at polling places in two counties.

U.S. District Judge Algenon Marbley ordered Blackwell's office and the Knox and Franklin county boards of election to provide alternative methods of voting. The polls remained open past their 7:30 p.m. closing time to accommodate anyone who was in line at that time. Some voters waited in line more than seven hours and the last ballots were cast early on Nov. 3.

-snip-

Seem right. :shrug:

January 18, 2005

Fairness by Beckerman

Alliance for Democracy Seeks to Intervene Before Democratic Party Dismisses Its Own Case in Knox & Franklin Counties

-snip-

The Ohio Democratic Party appears, by its motion to dismiss its claims against the Franklin County Board of Elections, to have lost interest in further pursuit of this complaint. Intervenor Ohio Republican Party and defendant Blackwell appear to be seeking to nullify the importance of this court’s injunction as an important precedent for protecting voting rights and according equal protection of law for all Ohio citizens. Thus, there is no other party in this action that appears willing to aggressively represent the interest of the Alliance in protecting the democratic values at issue in this preceding."

-snip/more-

http://fairnessbybeckerman.blogspot.com/2005/01/alliance-for-democracy-seeks-to.html

And more here ("find" keyword: knox)

http://fairnessbybeckerman.blogspot.com/

Is this the last case re the election that is before the courts? Why would it be dropped? Is this the one Kerry was backing? I have the flu and am a bit loopy.
Thanks.